5 things to watch for in Celtics-Knicks Game 1

The Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks will rekindle the New York-Boston rivalry as they begin their best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday night. This series marks the first time the two have met in the playoffs since 2013 and the first time in over 40 years they are playing outside of the first round.

The storylines are already set for the series, but what are the things that will influence the play on the court? Here are five things to watch out for in Celtics vs. Knicks Game 1:

The Celtics survived their opening series with the Magic in just five games, but they did not escape the round unscathed.

Jrue Holiday's status remains in purgatory, as he is 'day-to-day' with his hamstring recovery. However, was not listed on the injury report on Monday and is expected to play for Game 1. Jayson Tatum appeared to be more than healthy in the final few games against the Magic, but the wrist bruise that he suffered in Game 1 kept him out of Game 2 and should be noted. Jaylen Brown played the entire first round, but missed the end of the regular season with a knee injury that may still be nagging. Kristaps Porziņģis is healthy right now, but should always be considered at risk of suffering a blow that could sideline him.

So, the Celtics' health is a concern. Round 1 beat them up more than expected, and one could wonder about the residual effect it may have on the rest of the playoffs. Now in saying that, Tatum, Brown, and Porziņģis all seem to be mostly healthy. Also, by the time Game 1 rolls around, the Celtics will have had six days off to rest all ailments. Mind you, the Knicks also got rest, but less - they ended their inaugural series on Thursday.

Regardless, for Game 1 and the remainder of the series, how the Celtics hold up will be something to look out for. In all likelihood, the Celtics will prove this all to be moot. But, they took their lumps in the first round, so it must be considered. The Knicks also knowing that the C's could be sub-100 percent, may try to play a more physical series - you know, it's the playoffs and they need some sort of edge.

For the Knicks to upset the Celtics in this series, they are going to rely heavily on their star Jalen Brunson. The Celtics are also going to need big contributions from their stars as well, particularly Tatum who will be expected to dominate, as always. So, the battle between Brunson and Tatum will be something to watch for in Game 1 and on ward.

During the five matchups with the Celtics over the season, Brunson averaged 26.75 points per game. He also scored 36 points against the C's in February. In the playoffs, Brunson has shown out on the court averaging 31.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He is largely the most consistent scoring threat on the Knicks, so it will be interesting to see how the Celtics play him.

Tatum is once again the biggest star and best player on the court in this series. In the final three games of their series with the Magic, he scored 36, 37, and 35 points and was the largest contributor for the C's. Overall in the playoffs Tatum is averaging 31.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds. He, also, dominated against the Knicks during the season. He registered 33.5 points per game in the season series with the Knicks, putting up an impressive 40 points against them in February.

So, it's fair to assume that Game 1 - and the entire series - will be an offensive battle between these two stars. For New York, the recipe for victory starts with shutting down Tatum. Boston must simply play their system of basketball and make sure they keep Brunson in check in the process.

Karl-Anthony Towns will come into Boston and look to have a similar showing in the East Semifinals that he did in the first round versus the Pistons. Towns has been strong for the Knicks so far in the playoffs averaging 19.7 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He has also been lights out from three, shooting 12-for-25 (48 percent) from beyond the arc.

On the contrary, Porziņģis was somewhat underwhelming for the C's against the Magic. He is only averaging 12.0 points per game, and from three - somewhere he is usually strong from - Porziņģis is shooting just 11.8 percent (2-for-17).

The interesting thing about this big-man matchup is it's pretty unorthodox (i.e. neither center play like traditional centers). Both Porziņģis and Towns play a shoot first style of game, but are not necessarily the guys to get physical down low. Towns is more physical than his adversary; however, that's a low bar. It will be interesting to see who gets the better of the other, considering how similar they play.

The Celtics are going to want Porziņģis to pick it up from three. The Knicks, however, may be confident with this matchup especially with the way Towns has shot beyond the arc. Both guys can certainly be a difference maker for their squads; it's just a matter of who can get the better of their opponent.

The three-point-shot is often a major factor in every game the Celtics play. They set the NBA record for most threes attempted per game by attempting an average of 48.2 per game during the season. However, they were forced to adopt a different style in the first round against the Magic, who implemented a strong three-point defense. In turn, the Celtics ended up only attempting 31.2 threes per game.

The Knicks also attempted fewer threes in their opening series against the Pistons (30.2 per game) than their regular season average (34.1 per game), but it wasn't as dramatic of a difference.

If Game 1 - and the remainder of the series - are anything like the season series between these two teams, the three-point-shot will certainly be influential. In their four meetings during the year, the Celtics averaged 48.25 threes per game and converted at 43.5 percent (84-for-193). Meaning the C's were not only chucking up a lot of threes, they were knocking them down regularly. So, in theory the Celtics will try to reinvigorate that aspect of their game and Game 1 will seem any attempts from deep.

New York must do their best to force the Celtics to either take low percentage shots, or try to eliminate the three-pointer like the Magic had. The issue is the Knicks play very differently than the Magic so they may struggle to combat the deep-ball.

Both the Knicks and Celtics have certain players that are the 'under the radar' guys (i.e. important pieces of the supporting cast who are not the stars but can still be impactful). In this case, it may be necessary for both squads to rely on these guys during the series.

For the Celtics, Derrick White embraces this role - a perfect example being Game 1 against the Magic. However, a player like Jrue Holiday could also make an unsung difference. That is especially true because he is dealing with that injury. If he's in games at 100 percent, Holiday is an important piece, especially defensively, but if he is out at all during the series the Celtics may have a tough time filling the absence.

The Knicks also have a few players that could be sneaky important. For one, OG Anunoby has contributed a solid 17.3 points per game for New York in the playoffs. He will need to continue that consistency versus the Celtics. Also, a player like Josh Hart could play a larger role. In the final meeting of the season between the two teams, Hart went off for 20 points. If he can give that type of contribution in Game 1, the series could become much tighter than previously expected.

The Celtics want to get this series off on the right foot. Obviously, that means they must win Game 1. If they stick to their own game, let Tatum and Brown do their things, and limit Brunson, they should be in a good spot to take care of business on Monday night. It will be interesting to see what factor the three-pointer plays, but even if it's not falling, Boston showed against the Magic they can win in different fashions.

At the end of the day, the Celtics should have all the confidence playing a team they beat four times during the season. Maybe there are some unforeseen things that could interrupt how they play down the line - most notably injuries - but fans should expect to see a strong showing from the Boston Celtics in Game 1.

The Celtics and the Knicks begin the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 1 at TD Garden on Monday, May 5, at 7:00 p.m. Be sure to tune into 98.5 The Sports Hub for the broadcast of the game.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.